Tainted
by Foxdawn
Summary: RiverClan is at a time of peace and growth, until a mysterious sickness runs like wildfire through the Clan, leaving death and suffering behind in its wake. When young warrior Voletooth is tainted by the sickness, the only thing he wants is healing. But RiverClan's Medicine Cat, Mothwing is in desperate need of help herself... AdderClan Challenge.


RiverClan

 **Deputy:** Mistyfoot- lithe blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat

 **Warriors:**

Blackclaw- smokey black tom

 _Apprentice, Beechpaw_

Swallowtail- dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Voletooth- small brown tabby tom

 **Apprentices:**

Beechpaw- light brown tom

 **ThunderClan**

 **Medicine Cat Apprentice:** Leafpool- light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

* * *

 _Grey-black tendrils of mist_ curled over the earth as the small Dawn Patrol picked it's way down the slope.

"It's too cold!" Beechpaw complained, fluffing up his light-colored fur in attempt to block out the cold misty breeze that cut through RiverClan territory. "Why couldn't we have waited until the _sun_ was _actually up_?"

"If we did, it wouldn't be called a _dawn patrol_ , now would it?" Blackclaw meowed with a good-natured glance toward Voletooth.

Voletooth's whiskers twitched in amusement. _Was I like that when I was an apprentice?_ He wondered, sneaking a look at young Beechpaw, whose light brown fur was soaked and muddy with dew.

The patrol continued on in silence, Blackclaw checking the progress of the rising sun from time to time. Gradually, the mist dissolved into sweet, earth-scented pools that ran down the slope, shining silvery and gold as they ran.

 _This is nice._ Voletooth thought as the amber-gold rising sun warmed his pelt. _Patrolling with Blackclaw, no trouble at all within RiverClan...I wish it could be like this always._

"Look!" Beechpaw yowled suddenly, bolting away from Voletooth and Blackclaw at break-neck speed. The light brown apprentice sped into the bracken, where he disappeared for a moment, before returning to the patrol, a limp, shredded shrew hanging from his jaws.

"Beechpaw, this is a _dawn patrol_. Not a hunting patrol." Blackclaw scolded, closing his eyes irritably.

"So?" Beechpaw muttered cheerfully around the body of the shrew. "Prey is prey, no matter when you catch it. Oof!" Just as he finished speaking, Beechpaw's forepaw wedged under a protruding bramble. The young apprentice lost his footing, and slid into a grey-black puddle of water.

Blackclaw's whiskers twitched in amusement as he stepped to stand before the grime-covered figure of Beechpaw.

"Fish out your prey, Beechpaw. Just 'cause it's wet doesn't mean it can't be eaten." Blackclaw meowed as Beechpaw shook the water from his pelt, splattering Voletooth with the grime as he did so.

Beechpaw grabbed his prey from the puddle and brushed past Voletooth and Blackclaw, his tail held high in a vain attempt to heal his wounded dignity.

* * *

"So, how was Dawn Patrol?" Voletooth smiled as Swallowtail padded toward him, her pelt glowing amber in the auburn dawn light. Voletooth shot an amused glance in Beechpaw's direction, who was loudly complaining as he groomed the grime out of his fluffy pelt. Swallowtail laughed, following Voletooth's gaze.

"I guess someone decided to go for a swim in a mud pit." She mewed quietly, nodding politely as Beechpaw shot her an angry glare, his eyes blazing.

"Yup." Voletooth agreed. "Fell right in. You should've seen his splash!"

Swallowtail's eyes glittered in amusement. "Oh, I'm sure!" She casually wove her soft tail around Voletooth's, and her emerald-green gaze met Voletooth's. A heartbeat later, her eyes clouded and her tail dropped limply from Voletooth's.

 _She's thinking of Rainwhisker. I know she is._

She thought of him often, Voletooth knew, but it just hurt so much to accept it. Rainwhisker was a ThunderClan warrior who Swallowtail had quickly befriended and...fallen in love with. Though Voletooth openly showed Swallowtail his feelings for her, he knew that he could never match Rainwhisker. But he would never accept that. He would pad after her tirelessly, never accepting defeat.

"Ah, I see Blackclaw has brought his patrol back." The blue-grey form of Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy, emerged from the leader's den and padded to the camp entrance. Voletooth dipped his head respectfully.

"Yes, Mistyfoot." Voletooth responded, pulling away from Swallowtail, who hardly seemed to notice.

"Any trouble?"

"No, Mistyfoot. Not sign of any border crossings or danger." As he was speaking, Voletooth noticed Mothwing, the RiverClan medicine cat, slip out of her den and listen as he gave his report. Once he finished, she nodded uncertainly and slipped back into her den.

"Good, good." Mistyfoot replied, nodding slowly. "Swallowtail, please led a hunting patrol with Ripplepaw and Hawkfrost."

"Yes, Mistyfoot." Without another word, Swallowtail slipped away from Voletooth, disappearing into the warrior den. Voletooth watched her go, wishing things could be different.

"And Voletooth, you and Beechpaw and Blackclaw can take something rom the fresh-kill pile before you go out on another patrol." With a start, Voletooth realized tha Mistyfoot was still standing in front of him.

"Yes, Mistyfoot! Uh...thanks!" He stuttered, scrambling to his paws to the fresh-kill pile.

Wrinkling up his nose at the shredded shrew from Beechpaw's earlier hunt, Voletooth pulled a trout out from under the shrew and carried it over to sit near Beechpaw.

"Mistyfoot said you could get something from the fresh-kill pile." He told Beechpaw, who immediately leaped to his paws and sped toward the fresh-kill.

"Hold up!" Voletooth slammed his paw down on Beechpaw's tail, stopping the young apprentice in his tracks.

"Hey!" Beechpaw whined indignantly. "Quit!"

"Listen to me." Voletooth growled. "You had better take that shrew from this morning. I can't imagine anyone else wanting to eat that."

Beechpaw groaned, rolling his eyes impatiently.

"And why don't you take something to Ivytail while you're a it." Voletooth lifted his paw from Beechpaw's tail, and the grimy apprentice sped away, grumbling under his breath.

* * *

Voletooth blinked his eyes open. Dark, thick blackness filled the den. The night was calm and silent. He could see the sleeping forms of Swallowtail and Blackclaw in the den, sleeping soundly and peacefully.

But something was not right. Stumbling to his paws, Voletooth slipped loudly from the den, crashing to the earth in the middle of camp.

"Voletooth?" Voletooth strained to look towards the sound of the weak, creaky voice. Beechpaw leaned against the edge of the apprentice den, his eyes clouded and wild.

"Beechpaw..." Voletooth struggled to his paws, only to fall back to the earth, exhausted and defeated.

"Mothwing!" Beechpaw called weakly. "Mothwing...Mothwing..."

* * *

The pain was worse than anything Voletooth had ever felt before. It was worse than the exhaustion that plagued the Clans during the Great Journey. It was worse than any battle, and at this point, Voletooth was pretty sure it was even worse than death itself.

He watched vacantly as Ivytail was carried through the center of camp, her tail hanging limply on the earth, leaving a small trench of upturned earth.

Behind him, he could detect the scent of ThunderClan.

 _ThunderClan? In the middle of the RiverClan camp? At a time like this? What has the world come to?_

"Who's there?" He croaked, rolling his head to the side.

"It's me, Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat. I'm here to help Mothwing."

"RiverClan doesn't need ThunderClan help." He rasped defiantly. Just as he finished speaking, a spasm of pain seized his body, rippling his pelt in agony. "Please, help me." He finally choked out, casting pleading eyes toward the ThunderClan medicine cat.

"I'll do everything I can." she promised, turning to speak with Mothwing.

 _StarClan guide you..._

* * *

Voletooth shuddered as the yarrow was pushed down his throat, causing him to vomit.

"You're fine. You'll get better now." Leafpool's soothing voice calmed him as he laid back in his nest, exhausted and breathing heavily.

"Thank you." He rasped as his eyes fluttered closed and he drifted into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, a deep gnawing hunger clawed at his belly. By Voletooth's head, a piece of fresh-kill lay. He pulled away from it.

"Don't worry." Leafpool suddenly appeared at his side. "It's clean."

"That's what got me sick in the first pace, isn't it?"

Leafpool nodded. "Yes. Some tainted water has poisoned the Clan. But Mothwing has everything under control."

His eyes widened. "You're...you're leaving?"

Leafpool nodded. "Yes. My work is in ThunderClan. RiverClan has it's own medicine cat, an I know she can handle therest of this by herself. She's tougher than she looks, you know."

Leafpool turned to leave.

"Leafpool! Wait!" Voletooth proudly met the ThunderClan medicine cat's eyes. "Thank you."


End file.
